A PROPOSAL TO ADDRESS THE IMPACT OF FRAUDULENT PHOENIX ACTIVITIES ON UNREMITTED SUPERANNUATION GUARANTEE CONTRIBUTIONS IN AUSTRALIA Anna Giardina * and Dale Pinto # Phoenix activity involves the deliberate, systematic, liquidation of a company to avoid the payment of liabilities, including employees wages, superannuation, outstanding taxes and business creditors. The company then rises from the ashes conducting the same business free from all debts under a new or similar identity. Fraudulent phoenix activity typically occurs when individuals use limited liability companies to accumulate debts that are usually owed to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), then liquidate the companies concerned and then carry on the same business through a newly formed company. The effect is that in almost all cases the companies placed into liquidation, have no assets. Fraudulent phoenix like activity isn t a new phenomenon and was associated with the bottom of the harbour tax avoidance schemes prevalent in Australia during the 1970s. The Victorian Parliament Law Reform Committee (VPLRC) tabled a report in 1994 which had several recommendations dealing with and detecting phoenix activity. This report was the catalyst for the ATO to launch the Phoenix Project in 1998, with a focus of tracking companies involved in fraudulent phoenix activity. * Lecturer, Curtin Law School. # Professor of Taxation Law, Curtin Law School and Fellow, Tax Law and Policy Research Group, Monash University. 74 JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN TAXATION
A GIARDINA & D PINTO The early focus of government efforts on fraudulent phoenix activity was within the construction and building industry, specifically in New South Wales. However, other industries where labour costs are high are also greatly affected by this type of activity. The start of the 2007 global financial crisis increased phoenix activity in other industries where companies were seeking to gain a cost advantage over their competitors. The size of the problem of fraudulent phoenix activity is difficult to estimate but appears to be substantial. In March 2010, the Assistant Treasurer Nick Sherry said that the latest estimates show phoenix activity may be ripping up to AUD 600 million form the national revenue base. The cost of phoenix activity is estimated between AUD 1.78 billion and AUD 3.19 billion per year, representing a significant amount of lost revenue each year. Phoenix activity in many of these labour industries was borne out through sham contracting where the employer disguises an employee s relationship as a client or an independent contractor. Through sham contracting, employers can avoid paying annual leave, sick leave and other associated entitlements if the company becomes insolvent. This article explains and investigates fraudulent phoenix activities in Australia, the nature of the problem and its size. Phoenix activity is prevalent in the area of unremitted employees superannuation guarantee contributions. The Commonwealth Government has increased its efforts to combat fraudulent phoenix activities however this article proposes new measures to combat fraudulent phoenix activities, specifically in relation to unremitted superannuation contributions and through improved online reporting relationships between the Australia Tax office and compliance of companies. This article also highlights the consequences of fraudulent phoenix activities whereby employees can lose their superannuation entitlements, creditors cannot recover their money and the government loses on non-payment of taxes, superannuation, workers compensation premiums and long service leave contributions. The effect of phoenix activity has further implications on the broader community, as more of these people will need to seek government assistance in the form of aged pensions when they retire. (2014) 16(1) 75
PHOENIX ACTIVITIES AND SUPERANNUATION ENTITLEMENTS 1. INTRODUCTION The phoenix in Greek mythology is described as a mythical bird of great beauty reputed to live for 500 or more years. When the phoenix reaches the end of its lifespan, it builds a nest and burns itself on a funeral pyre, emerging from the ashes as a new phoenix that replicates its previous lifespan. 1 The phoenix is associated with the sun and symbolises immortality, resurrection and life after death. To rise like a phoenix from the ashes means to emerge renewed after an apparent disaster or destruction, 2 which can be associated in a legal context to a phoenix company where insolvent businesses start up again under a new or similar identity. 3 This article explains and investigates fraudulent phoenix activities in Australia, the nature of the problem and its size. Although the Commonwealth Government has increased its efforts to combat fraudulent phoenix activities, this article argues that more is required to be done. Phoenix activity is prevalent in the area of unremitted employees superannuation guarantee contributions, which is the focus of this article. The structure of this article is as follows. The first part describes what fraudulent phoenix activity is, including an examination of industries where such activities have taken place. The second part discusses the effect that fraudulent phoenix activity has on employees superannuation guarantee contributions. Lastly, this article proposes a new system to 1 Dictionary.com LLC, Definition of Phoenix (2014) Online Dictionary <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/phoenix>. 2 Oxford University Press, Rise Like a Phoenix from the Ashes (2014) Oxford Dictionaries Language Matters <http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/rise-like-aphoenix-from-the-ashes?q=rise+like+a+phoenix+from+the+ashes>. 3 Nick Sherry, Foreword in Action Against Fraudulent Phoenix Activity (Proposals Paper, Treasury, Australian Government, 2009) 3. 76 JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN TAXATION
A GIARDINA & D PINTO combat fraudulent phoenix activities in the area of unremitted superannuation contributions. 2. WHAT IS FRAUDULENT PHOENIX ACTIVITY? Fraudulent phoenix activity involves company directors abusing the protection afforded by the corporate form 4 by deliberately and systematically liquidating a company to avoid the payment of tax liabilities, such as those arising from employee wages, superannuation contributions and business creditors. 5 This is usually achieved by directors of limited liability companies accumulating debts, then liquidating the companies concerned and later reinstating the same business under the guise of another company free of those debts, 6 with the new company being controlled by the same directors. 7 According to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), in almost all cases which involve fraudulent phoenix activity, the entities placed into liquidation have no assets, with the added possibility that some of these companies may have been technically trading for some period whilst insolvent. 8 4 Submission from David Woods to Inquiry into Corporations Amendment (Phoenixing and Other Measures) Bill 2012, 27 April 2012, 1 <https://senate.aph.gov.au/submissions/comittees/viewdocument.aspx? id=b2d91695-c65e-47ae-9499-ce0d58051e4c>. 5 Nick Sherry, Immediate Action to Assist in Crackdown on Fraudulent Phoenix Activity (Media Release, no 45, 17 March 2010) 1 <http://ministers.treasury.gov.au>. 6 Ibid. 7 Terry Hayes, ATO s Phoenix Crackdown (3 March 2010) Smart Company <http://www.smartcompany.com.au/finance/tax/13577-20100304-liquidating-a-business-to-avoid-tax-liabilities.html>. 8 Grant Darmanin, Understanding the Need to Work collaboratively to Address Fraudulent Phoenix Behaviour (Paper presented at the Tenth Annual States Taxation Conference, edited by Taxation Institute of Australia, Sofitel Hotel Brisbane Central, Brisbane, 29 July 2010) 4 <http://www.taxinstitute.com.au/seminar-papers/understanding-the- (2014) 16(1) 77
PHOENIX ACTIVITIES AND SUPERANNUATION ENTITLEMENTS Fraudulent phoenix activities are not a new phenomenon. In fact, fraudulent phoenix activities can be associated with the bottom of the harbour tax avoidance schemes prevalent in Australia during the 1970s. Companies with tax liabilities would use the bottom of the harbour schemes by stripping the companies of their assets, which would then be sold or transferred to an entity that would not be able to pay the tax liability. These transactions were achieved by a promoter (such as a lawyer or accountant) who would assist the owners by transferring the assets from the old company to a new company, with the business continuing in the new company. The old company was then sold to the promoter for the value of the profit, less a commission (such as 10%). The promoter would then find someone with limited means who had no knowledge and no interest in looking at the books to sell the company to, and would keep the commission. 9 Metaphorically, the company once stripped was sent to the bottom of the harbour by transferring the company to someone that had no interest in its past history, or to someone who had limited means. Many companies avoided tax in the 1970s as it was not clear whether tax avoidance was illegal. The Crimes (Taxation Offences) Act 1980 (Cth) made these tax evasion schemes illegal. 10 Concerns in relation to fraudulent phoenix activity can be traced back as far as 1994, when one of the first reports need-to-work-collaboratively-to-address-fraudulent-phoenixbehaviour-paper>. 9 Peter Grabosky, Wayward Governance: Illegality and its Control in the Public Sector (Australian Institute of Criminology, 1989) ch 9, 143-144 <http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/previous%20series/lcj/1-20/wayward.html>. 10 James Popple, The Right to Protection from Retroactive Criminal Law (1989) 13 Criminal Law Journal 251, 259 <http://cs.anu.edu.au/~james.popple/publications/articles/retroactive/7.html>. 78 JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN TAXATION
A GIARDINA & D PINTO emanated from the Victorian Parliament Law Reform Committee (VPLRC). 11 That Committee recommended that the laws should be tightened when dealing with the disqualification of directors of companies, more resources should be allocated to detect phoenix activity and for prosecution of offenders, increase public awareness that it is a serious offence, improve the way information is collaborated between regulators, and to enact laws to freeze assets so that creditors who have a claim can access them. 12 This report was the catalyst for the ATO to launch the Phoenix Project in 1998, with a focus of tracking companies involved in fraudulent phoenix activity by allocating more staff to collaborate with other agencies. 13 The Australian Government has since established the Inter-Agency Phoenix Forum in 2013, so that key government agencies can share, identify and deter fraudulent phoenix activity. 14 The ATO has established project teams to focus and manage specific areas of risk arising from areas such as superannuation debts and phoenix companies. 15 11 Law Reform Committee, Parliament of Victoria, Curbing the Phoenix Company: First Report on the Law Relating to Directors and Managers of Insolvent Corporations (1994). 12 Helen Anderson, The Proposed Deterrence of Phoenix Activity: An Opportunity Lost? (2012) 34 Sydney Law Review 411, 413. 13 Ibid 414. 14 The members of this Forum are: The Australian Crime Commission (ACC); Australian Federal Police (AFP); Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC); Clean Energy Regulator (CER); Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR); Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (DSEWPaC); Fair Work Building & Construction (FWBC); Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO); and the ATO. See specifically, Australian Taxation Office, Australian Government, Inter-Agency Phoenix Forum <http://www.ato.gov.au/general/gen/inter-agency-phoenix-forum>. 15 Inspector-General of Taxation, Australian Government, Review into the Tax Office s Small Business Debt Collection Practices Summary (2014) 16(1) 79
PHOENIX ACTIVITIES AND SUPERANNUATION ENTITLEMENTS From 1999 to 2005, the ATO raised around AUD 335 million in tax and penalties from its phoenix project. 16 With the collapse of many prominent businesses in the 1990s, the Commonwealth Government enacted Part 5.8A of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). This was designed to protect the entitlements of a company's employees from agreements and transactions entered into with the intention of defeating recovery of those entitlements. Part 5.8A sets out the entitlements subject to legislation and whose entitlements are protected under s 596AA 17, while s 596AB prevents the recovery of the entitlements of employees of a company or of significantly reducing the amount of the entitlements of employees of a company that can be recovered. Part 5.8A is narrow in its scope and application. In particular, s 596AB prescribes that it has to be proven that the directors intentionally prevented or significantly reduced the amount of employee entitlements. As there are significant costs involved in litigation, it might discourage employees or a liquidator to try and attempt to go to court under Part 5.8A, as the requisite intention is difficult to prove. 18 Employees of phoenix companies will not be protected under Part 5.8A because the company is deliberately stripped of assets before going into liquidation, thus making the employees ineligible for employee protection. Employees or the liquidator would have to of Submissions and Evidence, 12 April 2005, [4.9]-[4.10] <http://www.igt.gov.au/content/reports/debt_collection/debt_summary -03.asp>. 16 Australian Taxation Office, Annual Report 2004-2005, (2005) 2 <http://www.ato.gov.au>. 17 Justice Simon Whelan and Leon Zwier, Employee Entitlements and Corporate Insolvency and Reconstruction (2002) 12-13. <https://law.unimelb.edu.au/files/dmfile/protectionofemployeeentitlem ents_final_12.pdf>. 18 Ibid 13. 80 JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN TAXATION
A GIARDINA & D PINTO go to court, and as there are significant costs involved in litigation, employees or a liquidator may not go to court. 19 The early focus of government efforts on fraudulent phoenix activity was within the construction and building industry, specifically in New South Wales. Fraudulent phoenix activity is not limited to the building and construction industry. 20 It is also involved in other industries where labour costs are high, including labour hire, employment, security, road transport, hospitality, manufacturing, fruit harvesting and the cleaning industry. 21 Due to the global financial crisis, phoenix activity has spread to other industries where businesses are seeking to gain a cost advantage over their competitors. Entities in the building, construction, and textile industries may be expected to have a greater tendency to engage in fraudulent phoenix activities as those sectors have relatively low barriers to entry. These companies that are involved in phoenix activities can undercut their competitors when tendering as they do not anticipate fulfilling their tax obligations. Sham contracting occurs when the employer tries to disguise an employee s relationship as a client or an independent contractor. This is widespread throughout the Australian economy, though is overly represented in the construction industry. Through sham contracting, employers can avoid paying annual leave, sick leave and other associated entitlements. This leads to workers risking their claim to their entitlements to be paid for the work done. If the company becomes insolvent, the workers involved in sham contracting arrangements are unable to claim their entitlements as a wage earner; instead they can only claim as an unsecured creditor. 22 19 Ibid 14. 20 Sherry, above n 3. 21 Darmanin, above n 8, 6. 22 Office of the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner, Australian Government, Sham Arrangements and the Use of Labour (2014) 16(1) 81
PHOENIX ACTIVITIES AND SUPERANNUATION ENTITLEMENTS The rise of sham contracting arrangements has propelled an increase in fraudulent phoenix activity. Sham contracting can shift the responsibility for items such as workers compensation to the employee, leaving them inadequately compensated. Given the nature of the construction industry as one prone in which serious injuries may arise, this can leave an employee with a significantly reduced income for the rest of their lives. Sham contracting can also have an impact on superannuation by disguising an employee as an independent service provider under a contract; the employer may then fail to contribute to the employee s superannuation. When these employees retire, greater support from the government is required in the form of the age pension. 23 Chart 1 below shows the comparison of the proportion of labour force classified as employees and independent contractors by industry as at November 2009. 24 Hire in the Building and Construction Industry (Discussion Paper 5692639/8, December 2010) 3. 23 Ibid. 24 Ibid 11. 82 JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN TAXATION
A GIARDINA & D PINTO Chart 1: Employees v Independent Contractors by Industry Source: Derived from ABS (Forms of Employment Survey: Australia, November 2009, Cat No. 6359.0) 20 Note: the ABS advises that some of these percentages have a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution. It can be seen in Chart 1 that a high percentage of independent contractors are working in the construction industry, approximately 33 percent, making it the highest across all industries. 25 25 Ibid. (2014) 16(1) 83
PHOENIX ACTIVITIES AND SUPERANNUATION ENTITLEMENTS Phoenix activity also appears to be more prevalent in smaller enterprises that have a turnover of between AUD 2 million and AUD 10 million. 26 This may be due to there being no audit requirement for a small company under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). Consequently, any breaches of company law by its directors can go unnoticed by the regulator. By the time the regulator is aware that directors have breached company law it is often too late as there are no assets left in the company to pay its suppliers, employees or taxes. 27 Directors may also participate in fraudulent phoenix activities to increase their personal wealth by saving on labour costs through the non-payment of superannuation guarantee contributions and non-remittance of Pay as You Go Withholding (PAYGW). Companies also achieve a competitive advantage by using employee superannuation guarantee contributions and taxation monies as a line of credit, thus gaining a competitive cash flow advantage over companies who properly deal with these obligations. 28 Fraudulent phoenix activities also have a broader impact on the economy, in particular the impact through unremitted employee superannuation contributions, which is the focus of this article. In 2009, it was estimated that phoenix activity results in lost revenue of more than AUD 600 million each year. 29 In 2010, insolvent employers owed the ATO an estimated AUD 600.8 million in superannuation guarantee 26 Australian Taxation Office, Submission to the Royal Commission into the Building and Construction Industry, June 2002, 115. 27 Paul Appleby, The Regulation of Phoenix Companies: Collective Responses of a Survey of Members of the International Association of Insolvency Regulators, 29 October 2004, 66. 28 Hayes, above n 7, 7. 29 Fleur Anderson, Slow Burn on Phoenix Measures The Australian Financial Review (Melbourne) 4 November 2011. 84 JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN TAXATION
A GIARDINA & D PINTO charges, which is written off as lost employee retirement savings. 30 Whilst the precise size of the problem of fraudulent phoenix activity is difficult to estimate, by all accounts it appears to be substantial. In March 2010, the Assistant Treasurer said that the latest estimates show phoenix activity may be ripping up to $600 million from the national revenue base. 31 In February 2013, ATO Acting Second Commissioner Mr James O Hallaran stated that it has been previously estimated that about 6,000 phoenix companies operate in Australia, a very small percentage (0.31). 32 However, the cost of phoenix activity is estimated at between AUD 1.78 billion and AUD 3.19 billion per year, which represents a significant amount of lost revenue for the government each year. It is therefore an important issue for the government to address to maintain the integrity of its revenue base. 33 2.1 Court Reviews To conclude this section, it is instructive to examine briefly some of the court cases relating to fraudulent phoenix activities, as this gives further context to the nature and scope of the problem. On 23 April 2010, the Commissioner of Taxation revealed that AUD 200 million in tax liabilities have been identified as a result of the ATO s focus on fraudulent phoenix 30 Arthur Athanasiou and Mark Gioskos, Ashes to Ashes the Phoenix No Longer Rises (2012) 47 Taxation In Australia 136, 138. 31 Sherry, above n 3. 32 Australian Taxation Office, SA Labour-Hire Companies Now in ATO Sights (Media Release 2013/06, 27 February 2013) <https://www.ato.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/sa-labour-hirecompanies-now-in-ato-sights>. 33 PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), Phoenix Activity: Sizing the Problem and Matching Solutions (Report to the Fair Work Ombudsman, June 2012) 1. (2014) 16(1) 85
PHOENIX ACTIVITIES AND SUPERANNUATION ENTITLEMENTS activity, with up to nine cases being referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions. 34 In February 2013, search warrants were issued to 80 South Australian based labour-hire companies operating in the agricultural industry and the ATO and Australian Federal Police (AFP) were working together to execute warrants for suspected criminal activity within the berry picking and meat processing sectors. 35 As noted earlier, in cases of fraudulent phoenix activities, the competitiveness of businesses is distorted due to the fact that phoenix companies enjoy lower-than-market costs. Consequently, they are able to achieve an unfair advantage in the marketplace, which in turn undermines the integrity and confidence of the marketplace, and established processes which are used for insolvency. 36 In the last six years there have been an increasing number of cases before the court that relate to fraudulent phoenix activities. In ASIC v Somerville (No 2), 37 the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) succeeded in obtaining declarations for breach of directors duties under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) against directors of eight unrelated companies. These companies had a common solicitor (Somerville), who advised and assisted each of those directors in relation to phoenix activities. Similarly, in June 2010, a phoenix 34 Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ATO Grilled Over Tax Return Bungle, Lateline, 23 April 2010 (Andrew Robertson) <http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/business/items/201004/s2880640.htm >. It is not clear why there is apparently a gap of AUD 400 million between the two figures, but it may well be the case that the figure of AUD 600 million includes moneys other than tax liabilities and/or estimates that are yet to be confirmed (with the gap thus possibly representing the difference between actual and potential liabilities). 35 Australian Taxation Office, above n 34. 36 Appleby, above n 29. 37 [2009] NSWSC 998. 86 JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN TAXATION
A GIARDINA & D PINTO operator, James Soong, was jailed for three years in the Sydney Downing Court for failing to remit to the ATO deducted tax instalments totalling AUD 6.7 million from the wages of employees of two companies that he operated. 38 A more recent prosecution in relation to this case was in March 2013 in New South Wales, where Ms Desley Soong was found guilty for not complying with a Security Bond Demand Notice. 39 Furthermore, the ATO s Compliance In Focus document for 2013-2014 indicates its plans to tackle medium-sized businesses using fraudulent phoenix activities to avoid financial obligations including PAYGW, income tax, GST and superannuation liabilities. The ATO plans to conduct 1,000 reviews and audits and has 2,500 contacts to verify information or provide advice. The ATO will also focus on 150 cases dealing with property developers engaging in phoenix behaviour (which includes in the context failing to report the sale of developments and using liquidation to avoid GST obligations). The ATO has found over 2,000 property developers who have on multiple occasions placed companies deliberately into liquidation to avoid paying GST. 40 38 Australian Taxation Office, Phoenix Operator Jailed for $6.7 Million Fraud (Media Release, 2010/11, 21 June 2010). 39 The power enables the ATO to require a company to provide an appropriate tax bond where it is reasonable to expect that the company would be unable to meet its tax obligations and/or would engage in fraudulent phoenix activity. The penalty for non-compliance with a requirement to provide security has been increased from AUD 2200 to AUD 11,000 for individuals and from AUD 11,000 to AUD 55,000 for companies. 40 Australian Taxation Office, Compliance in Focus 2013-14 (19 December 2013) <http://www.ato.gov.au/about-ato/research-andstatistics/in-detail/general-statistics/compliance-in-focus-2013-14>. (2014) 16(1) 87
PHOENIX ACTIVITIES AND SUPERANNUATION ENTITLEMENTS 2.2 Other Government Efforts to Combat Fraudulent Phoenix Activities Apart from court cases and ATO reviews, the government has initiated other efforts to combat fraudulent phoenix activities. The Cole Royal Commission was established in 2003 to investigate the occurrence and problems associated with fraudulent phoenix activities, especially in the building and construction industry, mainly involving underpaid workers compensation premiums and tax avoidance. 41 On 1 November 2005, the Commonwealth Government s General Employee Entitlements and Redundancy Scheme (GEERS) was revised in order to provide employees from a failed company with an opportunity to claim certain unpaid entitlements. However, employees could recover unpaid entitlements only if the failed company was placed into liquidation, and this might not have occurred immediately. 42 In November 2009, the Treasury issued a proposals paper for public comment. 43 The paper outlined possible amendments to taxation and company law dealing with matters such as: disqualification of directors; denying companies PAYGW credits; imposing bond provisions; making amendments to the 41 Appleby, above n 27, 3-4. 42 Marnie McConnell and Jodie Odell, Australia: Directors & Officers: Phoenixing Reforms (22 June 2012) Mondaq <http://www.mondaq.com/australia/x/182342/directors+officers/dire ctors+officers+phoenixing+reforms>. 43 Australian Government, Action Against Fraudulent Phoenix Activity, Proposals Paper, available at: http://www.treasury.gov.au/documents/1647/pdf/phoenix_proposal_ Paper.pdf. See also Treasury, Options to Address Fraudulent Phoenix Activity (14 November 2009) <http://archive.treasury.gov.au/contentitem.asp?contentid=1647>. 88 JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN TAXATION
A GIARDINA & D PINTO director penalty regime; and expanding anti-avoidance provisions. 44 In November 2012, GEERS was replaced with Fair Entitlements Guarantee (FEG) legislation. The FEG limitations are the same as GEERS, whereby employees cannot recover unpaid entitlements unless the company has been placed into liquidation. 45 Therefore, employees from a phoenix company that had not received their unpaid entitlements (due to the fact that the company had not been placed into liquidation) were left with no way of receiving their entitlements. This was resolved by the Commonwealth Government enacting the Corporations Amendment (Phoenixing and Other Measures) Act 2012 (Cth) (Phoenixing Act) in July 2012. The Phoenixing Act has given ASIC powers to order a company that has been abandoned by its directors to be wound up. The aim of the Phoenixing Act is to be able to facilitate the payment of employee entitlements and to facilitate the publication of corporate insolvency notices. 46 This is important, as it is a precondition under GEERS that an employee cannot receive payment if the employer company is not formally wound up. The Phoenixing Act aims to remove the current impediments to workers accessing their entitlements under GEERS, 47 as ASIC will now be able to order a company be wound up in several circumstances, such as: the company hasn t 44 The Australia Treasury 2009, Action against Fraudulent Phoenix Activity: Proposals Paper, p13-21. 45 Helen Anderson, Corporate Insolvency and the Protection of Lost Employee Entitlements: Issues in Enforcement (2013) 26 Australian Journal of Labour Law 3. 46 Commonwealth, Parliamentary Debates, House of Representatives, 15 February 2012, 1342 (David Bradbury). 47 Treasury, Australian Government, Corporations Amendment (Phoenixing and Other Measures) Bill 2012 (Cth), Bills Digest, No 114 of 2011-12, 28 February 2012, 2-3. (2014) 16(1) 89
PHOENIX ACTIVITIES AND SUPERANNUATION ENTITLEMENTS been carrying on a business; hasn t lodged any documents in the previous 18 months; it is in the best interests of the public if the company is would up; and if there is no response from the company for six months. This would allow the liquidator of an abandoned company to investigate and report to ASIC possible misconduct by the directors of the abandoned company which has engaged in fraudulent phoenix activity, or if the abandoned company has entered into any uncommercial transactions prior to abandoning the company. 48 The Corporations Amendment (Similar Names Bill) 2012 (Cth) was proposed by the former Labor government to regulate the use of similar names as an early indicator to prevent fraudulent phoenix activity, however it only addresses the issue if the company uses the same company name as the old company. It does not appear to apply to the use of a similar business name, 49 or prevent incorporation of a company using a similar name that was used by the failed company. 50 At the time of writing, the Bill had not been enacted. Notably, in the context of fraudulent phoenix activity, the Bill imposes liability only for the debts of the new company, not the debts of a failed company. This is inconsistent with the Government s intentions to combat phoenix activities, as the creditors of the failed company would have been caused harm from the fraudulent phoenix activity of the directors in contrast to the new company. 51 New reporting requirements in the building and construction industry have been introduced to reduce sham contracting and 48 Explanatory Memorandum, Corporations Amendment (Phoenixing and other Measures) Bill 2012 (Cth) 6. 49 Carrie Rome-Sievers, Phoenix Companies Targeted in Suite of Draft Law Reforms Introduced (1 March 2012) <http://carrieromesievers.wordpress.com/2012/03/01phoenixcompanies-targeted-in-suite-of-draft-law-reforms-introduced>. 50 Anderson, above n 12, 427. 51 Ibid. 90 JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN TAXATION
A GIARDINA & D PINTO create an alert system for fraudulent phoenix activities. From 1 July 2012 it has been compulsory for anyone carrying on a building or construction business to report details of payments made for the supply of building and construction services. 52 The Regulations provide a list of related services that require reporting for building and construction businesses and the explanatory statement provides examples that satisfy the definition of building and construction services. The ATO can now use the reported information for data matching to detect contractors who have either not lodged income tax returns or have not reported all of their income. 53 In 2012, further reforms 54 were implemented that extend the director penalty regime to make directors personally liable for their company s unpaid superannuation guarantee amounts. This change was designed to ensure that directors cannot avoid possible penalties by placing their company into administration or liquidation when PAYGW or superannuation guarantee contributions remain unpaid and unreported three months after the due date. In some instances, the new reforms make directors and their associates liable to PAYGW non-compliance tax where the company has failed to pay amounts withheld to the Commissioner of Taxation (Commissioner). 55 These measures have been criticised by many, including some debt collectors who have opined that these reforms were useless in that all they 52 Taxation Administration Amendment Regulation 2012 (No. 1) (Cth). 53 Athanasiou and Gioskos, above n 32, 3. 54 Tax Laws Amendment (2012 Measures No. 2) Bill 2012 (Cth). 55 Worrells Solvency & Forensic Accountants, 2013-14 Guide to Corporate Insolvency (2013) ch 2, 57 <http://www.worrells.net.au/portals/0/factsheets/2013_corporate_inso lvency.pdf>. (2014) 16(1) 91
PHOENIX ACTIVITIES AND SUPERANNUATION ENTITLEMENTS did was to give priority to the ATO. They did nothing for other creditors. 56 Despite Government efforts, particularly over the preceding six years, to combat fraudulent phoenix activities, they have unfortunately increased. An area that urgently requires Government attention is the effect of fraudulent phoenix activities on employees superannuation entitlements, which is the next focus of this paper. 3. IMPACT OF FRAUDULENT PHOENIX ACTIVITIES ON EMPLOYEES SUPERANNUATION ENTITLEMENTS Australia has a three-pillar system for retirement which comprises of: a means-tested age pension benefit funded by current taxpayers; compulsory savings through the Superannuation Guarantee system funded by employer contributions; and voluntary superannuation funded by personal and government co-contribution (if eligible). 57 Superannuation is an important feature of the Australian economy. It is a significant source of savings for Australian taxpayers and, with an ageing population, superannuation increasingly plays an important part to ensure that the Australian population can enjoy financial security in their future. Superannuation also ensures that the government can reduce its financial burden through age pension benefits and employees can save for their retirement by not having to rely on the age pension benefit. Employees are able to use their superannuation contributions as income. 56 Adele Ferguson, Draft Laws Wrong Perspective on Phoenix Companies, Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney) 3 January 2012 <http://www.smh.com.au/business/draft-laws-wrong-perspective-onphoenix-companies-20120102-1pi9g.html>. 57 Treasury, Australian Government, Australia s Future Tax System: Retirement Income Strategic Issues Paper (May 2009) <http://www.taxreview.treasury.gov.au/content/strategicpaper.aspx?d oc=html/publications/papers/retirement_income_strategic_issues_pa per/chapter_2.htm>. 92 JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN TAXATION
A GIARDINA & D PINTO According to the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), contributions to June 2013 totalled AUD 115.3 billion. Contributions from employers were AUD 77.5 billion, whereas contributions from members were AUD 36.5 billion and other contributions, such as government contributions and spouse contributions, totalled AUD 1.3 billion. 58 The total superannuation assets to the year end of June 2013 increased by 15.7 per cent from AUD 1.40 trillion to AUD 1.62 trillion. 59 Employers are required by law to pay Superannuation Guarantee contributions of 9.25% (as of 1 July 2013, increased to 9.5% as of 1 July 2014) to an employee s superannuation fund within 28 days of the end of the quarter, representing a proportion of an employee s salary or wage. If the employer does not make the contributions to the superannuation fund within the required time, then the employer is required to complete a Superannuation Guarantee Charge (SGC) statement and pay the SGC. The SGC is calculated by adding the super guarantee shortfall amounts to a nominal interest at 10% per annum and an administration fee of AUD 20 per employee. 60 Notably, the onus is on the employer to submit the form and inform the ATO that they have not paid the superannuation amounts to the employees superannuation fund. This creates a situation where some employers will not be disposed to informing the ATO, especially if they have been involved in fraudulent phoenix activities. 58 Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, Statistics: Annual Superannuation Bulletin (June 2013, revised 5 February 2014) 7< http://www.apra.gov.au/super/publications/documents/revised%2020 13%20Annual%20Superannuation%20Bulletin%2005-02-14.pdf>. 59 Ibid 6. 60 Australian Taxation Office, If You Haven t Met Your Obligations (5 June 2014) Employers Super <http://www.ato.gov.au/business/employers-super/what-you-mustdo-if-haven-t-met-your-obligations>. (2014) 16(1) 93